Artemis II astronauts have an unexpected problem - with a $23m toilet

Problems with the toilet began shortly after launch from Cape Canaveral. The crew worked with Mission Control to fix the glitch first: NASA reported that the astronauts restored normal operation of the Orion toilet after a warning signal.

Details

Later, another problem arose - the system could not properly discharge liquid waste from the tank. According to AFP, NASA first considered a version with freezing in the filters, but then experts came to the conclusion that the matter was probably not ice. The ship was turned around to the Sun and switched on heaters, but the clog persisted.

One of the working versions of NASA is associated with the chemistry of the urine processing system. In the liquid added substances that should prevent the formation of biofilms - accumulations of microorganisms. Presumably, a chemical reaction could have formed particles that clogged the filter.

Solid waste was collected through a separate circuit, and this part of the system worked normally. The crew temporarily used back-up personal containers for urine.

Astronaut Christina Koch jokingly referred to herself as the "space plumber" and noted that the toilet was "probably the most important piece of equipment on board." She also later reported an odour similar to a "burning heater" coming from the Universal Waste Management System.

Why it matters

At first glance, the problem looks comical, but for deep space missions, such systems are critical. Orion is a small ship: according to AFP, it is about five metres in diameter, just over three metres high, and the toilet is located under the floor and is the only place on board where astronauts can be alone.

It is also the first time such a system has been used on a manned deep space mission. Orion's toilet is similar to the system on the International Space Station, but it undergoes a different level of scrutiny on a mission to the moon.

The malfunction is also important to NASA because Artemis II should prepare for future flights to the moon and longer missions. The further people fly from Earth, the less opportunity there is to quickly replace equipment or fix a problem after landing.

Background

Artemis II is NASA's first manned mission to the Moon in more than half a century. Unlike the Apollo astronauts, who did not have a proper toilet and used special bags, the Orion crew was given a more modern system with vacuum waste disposal.

Liquid waste must be discharged overboard, while solid waste is collected in separate sealed bags, sealed and returned to Earth. After the return of the ship, NASA specialists planned to disassemble the system and establish the exact cause of the clog.

Source

The problem was reported by AFP; the story was published on Phys.org. NASA also separately reported on the initial repair of the Orion toilet system failure early in the Artemis II mission.